"I have been involved in the making of harpsichords since 1976, coming to the craft from a period of time in an organ-building workshop, which followed an earlier musical training at college and university, where I specialised in early keyboard studies.

I am primarily self-taught as a harpsichord maker, and my experience has led me to offer the range of instruments that you will find detailed here.

In order to cope with the practical needs of musicians, the compass of some of my instruments has been extended, and all have the capability to transpose once, or twice if required. These practical alterations sometimes necessitate a slight widening of the keywell, or enlargement of the case – nonetheless, historical practice is closely followed and respected at all times in the design, the choice of materials and the decoration of all of my instruments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

"My main field of interest is the study of the history, construction, design and functions of harpsichords, virginals, spinets, organs and fortepianos from the period of their first construction to the period around 1820.

Much of my time is spent in the restoration of early keyboard instruments and in the construction of historically-based harpsichords and virginals. In addition I have been involved in consultations with private and public institutions and individuals throughout Western Europe concerning the authenticity and restoration of early keyboard instruments from the historical period.

In the past I have devoted a great deal of time and study to the harpsichords and virginals built by the Ruckers family in Antwerp. But my main field of interest at the moment is the study of Italian keyboard instruments and, in particular, the study of the use of the local unit of measurement in their design and construction. Hence I am also deeply involved in historical metrology and have now collated one of the most extensive data bases of the lengths of the various local units of measurements used in the various centres and regions of the Italian peninsula (see: Geometry and the Unit of Measurement). The two main regions of interest are the sixteenth-century instruments made in Venice and in Naples. " See website for more information. (ed.)

"The design of our jacks was originally inspired by Ruckers jacks, particularly where the dimensions of the tongues are concerned, and to some extent the thickness of the bodies.
Tongues are currently cut from very nice straight and quarter sawn hornbeam, to maximise the strength at the plectrum slot. (slab sawn tongues are 4 x weaker than quarter sawn, and hence 4 x more prone to splitting. 31 mm long by 4.2 mm wide and 2.8 mm thick, they are fully shaped in profile and aspect. We no longer use a cut across the back of the plectrum slot, as this just weakens the tongue at the slot.
The aim being to maximise the strength of the tongue at the plectrum slot, and lighten it as far as possible elsewhere. 6 degree upward slope on plectrum slot.
Similarly the jack body we try to make quarter sawn - as did Ruckers - giving a 4 x stronger damper slot, and a more stable jack. Rock maple has served as the material for recent years. Wild Service, pear, holly, beech are other possible materials." See website for more info. (ed.)

“After graduatingin history-studiesbalanced with thepractice of music inmy city,Burgos, I moved to London whereI trainedin variousworkshops and in theCity of London Polytechnic.In 1992 Ireturned to Spainand have sincebeen workingin construction andrestoration ofhistorickeyboards.”

"In our workshop we have the facilities to repair or overhaul both historical and 20th century harpsichords. We hold a good stock of parts and accessories for repairs and upgrading of most harpsichords throughout the world.

We are pleased to give quotations on labour costs for work and services carried out in our workshop with a guarantee that no extra expense is incurred on any repairs or restoration work unless the customer is in full agreement.

Please ask about our facility to fit any of our Harpsichord or Spinet parts or accessories to your instrument, including cutting-in of the plectra if we install our HCH Jack Conversion Kit. "

"I first became interested in harpsichords in the late 70s. In 1980, I built my first instrument, a Flemish Single from Zuckermann Harpsichords Inc. I then studied with San Francisco teacher and performer Kathy Roberts Perl, who continues to be my teacher and valued adviser to this day.

I went into business in 1984 and shortly thereafter, began a professional relationship with David Way of Zuckerman Harpsichords, becoming his agent for the San Francisco Bay Area. This relationship lasted until 1992 when I left ZHI to pursue my own building from historical designs.

I have also been active with several West Coast arts organization. From 1985 to 1995, I worked with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra serving variously as stage manager, harpsichord technician, and tour manager. I also worked with Carmel Bach Festival from 1988 to 1997. And I served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Early Music Society including Board President from 1989 to 1992. " See website for more information. (ed.)

* Born in Salzburg / Austria
* secondary school in Salzburg
* chemical study (1st section) in Innsbruck
* technical college for violin and guitar making in Hallstatt
* education and final examination for organbuilding
* Independent workshop for clavichord- and harpsichord building since 1990

"Since 1980, our studio manufactures musical instruments of historical origins designed to meet the musician's needs.
All types of musical instruments (harpsichord, virginal, clavichord, muselaar, clavicytherium, ... ) are conceived with the intent to produce musical instruments that possess character in accordance with the objectives, faculty, and sensitivity of the artist.

Our goal is to restore each musical instrument to its original form based on organologic research and studies.

Our teams of researchers have concentrated on 16th and 17th century musical artifacts and currently are particularly interested in medieval instruments. " See website for more information. (ed.)

"Richard Kingston has produced over 300 instruments, all grounded in the best of the styles and techniques of the historic makers. Kingston and his instruments have been featured in articles published in Southern Living and Southern Accents magazines. The Best Report surveyed harpsichord makers and ranked the work of Richard Kingston with the top few of all extant makers. He has lectured on harpsichord construction techniques and styles, has served on numerous workshop faculties and has been the subject of an interview by the award-winning radio news magazine All Things Considered broadcast by National Public Radio. In 1991, Richard Kingston received the Spivey Award for Excellence in Instrument Building. The jurors were unanimous in their decision to award him top honors. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

At Michael Johnson Harpsichords we create instruments that suit all periods. Superb craftsmanship has made our instruments renowned for their reliability and stability. They are hand-crafted from air-dried timbers, using the same traditional methods as makers in the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries. We build harpsichords that the finest musicians and academies throughout the world choose for solo, continuo and orchestral work. ...

"Tony Chinnery builds and restores harpsichords and other keyboard instruments. The site contains descriptions of some of the instruments he has built and restored, harpsichords, spinets, chamber organ, with photos and sound examples as well as information on the Cristofori piano built by Kerstin Schwarz, and a harpsichord buyers guide. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

"After years of playing in school and community bands and orchestras, Paul Irvin was introduced to Bach, Baroque and the harpsichord while studying in college. Soon after receiving his B.A. in chemistry in 1969, he built his first harpsichord from a kit. Dissatisfaction with a second kit caused him to abandon it to begin researching the historical harpsichord. This study resulted in instruments of his own design, based on historical principles. Word-of-mouth demand turned his hobby into a career of custom designing harpsichords and clavichords, a career now in its twenty-third year. ...

We are committed to providing the finest quality Early Keyboard Instruments and professional Service. As you explore this site we hope you find it an informative and enjoyable way to learn more about us and the world of early keyboard instruments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

"Welcome to the Harpsichord Services of London Website. We have a variety of top quality harpsichords and a small chamber organ available for hire for concerts and recordings. We are also happy to tune, repair, or transport your harpsichord, clavichord, virginals, spinet, or fortepiano in London or the Southeast of England. "

"I have been involved with making, restoring and repairing harpsichords, clavichords, virginals, spinets and early pianos for most of my working life, and the vast majority of my customers for brassware know the funny world we inhabit very well. I realise however that a website will inevitably reach others, so a few words of explanation might be appropriate. Harpsichord family instruments like pianos have large lids although not I hope quite so massive. The lids need to be securely fastened but also must be readily removed....for example when a harpsichord is used with a baroque orchestra the lid open would hide players and the music they make. The 'strap' hinges therefore are mostly fitted to the top surface of the lid and fasten to the spine, the pivot being below the lid; the different strap hinges have varying depths for the 'return' and there are fixing holes for the return to the edge of the lid as well as those on the top; these are fitted with a loose pin; some however have no return and are showing on the inside of the lid when it is open. Some of either type are made with a fixed pin and the lid slides off to the tail to remove it. The 'flap' hinges are meant for the joint between main lid and the front 'flap', which exposes the keys and the wrestplank, and are mostly fitted to raised battens on the top surfaces, angled so that the flap opens rather more than parallel to the main lid. Here the important dimension is the open width, since they have to fit onto the battens and not stick out. Locks are either of the 'lock & hasp' variety, or fitted into the top outside edge of the casework, either being very visible and therefore decorative. I'm sure there are many more ways of using any of these decorative hinges than I've thought of.....This is basically a one-man business; I don't pour the metal but I do all else, so any hinge could be given a loose pin if needed; or left with an unpolished but slightly rippled finish from a blast cabinet and glass bead, or even if you have the right object, cast in bronze or even silver (or possibly aluminium although we haven't tried this). The foundry is very small too so we have some flexibility. "

“In addition to my regular building and restoration, I also offer a variety of services regarding the stringing of historical pianos, both originals and copies. These include the interpretation of existing gauge marks, the devising of entirely new stringing schedules when no marks are present and the design and fabrication of wound bass strings of all types and materials, both open and closed wrapped. I rely upon a combination of evidence drawn from original instruments, information gleaned from original piano making manuals of the 19th century, and a sophisticated computerized analysis technique. Surviving strings are faithfully copied in wrapping form and hitchpin loop. Bass core wires are always pre-stretched before wrapping until they stabilize at 80% rupture load in order to assure rapid stability of pitch once mounted and prevent in-situ stretching which can create loose wraps. Modern steel core stock is never used, and every attempt is made to find the best possible solution from among the various available “historical” wire types.“

"I offer harpsichords and other early keyboard instruments which are based on historic instruments. My philosophy is to follow the original design and materials very closely, obtaining details from drawings, literature and personal studies of instruments in museums and private collections. The only exceptions I make are to add certain features to make the instruments less susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity and to add features at a customer’s request. Customised features include the ability to play in modern pitch (A=440) and/or baroque pitch (A=415), extended compass and decoration.

My background is in engineering and I find this an enormous help in understanding and making instruments; after all, instrument making is basically engineering in wood! " See website for more information. (ed.)

"I have been making instruments since 1982, and began making harpsichords in 1988. I make them in my own workshop in North London and though I do use machines, I make a point of working as much as possible by hand.

I want my harpsichords to be high quality, reliable instruments, but not to look mass produced. I want them to feel human, and to have my fingerprint on them; for this reason I also make my own jacks and do my own soundboard painting. " See website for more information. (ed.)

"I came to the mechanical trades after studying music at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. In Boston, I took a diploma in piano technology under Bill Garlick and earned guild qualification as a tuning examiner. Since 1985 I have built 100+ fortepianos after Walter, Hofmann and Graf. My list of clients includes many fine players and institutions.

After some years in Amsterdam, I came to the Czech Republic in 1995. I found that various woods grown in the Czech Republic resembled those seen in old Viennese pianos.In fact it was written in 1823 that Conrad Graf preferred to get his soundboards from the Schwarzenberg Forest in Southern Bohemia, and indeed there is still the narrow Schwarzenberg Canal leading from the headwaters of the Moldau all the way to the Danube. A man who selects wood for violin makers chooses my logs from this forest.

My workshop is well equipped. In my own work I follow the information I have collected during museum research and restoration, most particularly preserving the measurements of soundboard and hammer mechanism. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)